My Solemn Vow

I remember years ago adding that to the wedding ceremonies that I officiated. A vow is a promise for sure. It is also a pledge and a personal commitment. It breaks my heart to see so many vows broken and flippantly ignored. Promises and vows are often hard to keep, but there are values like truth, honesty, love and forgiveness that command that the promise be followed through.

The Lord is giving some practical regulations for worship before His people enter the promised land and settle down. They have been “nomads” since Egypt, but their lives are about to be different and He wanted them to understand some of His requirements and concepts of worship. Check this out….

²¹ “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. ²² However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. ²³ But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23 NLT)

I believe the Lord wants my word to mean something. Many years ago, if a man gave his word that was as solid as a written contract. Today, it’s important to “get it in writing”. I have watched people change when money is involved. That behavior reflects what they really value. I’ve also watched people give their word and stand by it even when it cost them, and they could have escaped. There is one incident that happened years ago when a client of mine was “upside down” in his mortgage and he took a serious loss on the sale of his house. He brought nearly $20K from his savings in order to sell the house and repay the debt he owed the bank. Most everyone else was walking away from a loss like that. He said that he had promised to pay the loan back and he was going to honor the Lord by doing the right thing.

My vows and promises do reflect what I believe about the Lord.

My vows and promises should not be flippantly made.

My vows and promises should be dependable and reliable.

I have made promises to the Lord and He expects me to keep them.  He doesn’t require that I make promises, but He does expect me to keep my promises if I make them. Keeping a vow speaks volumes about an individual’s integrity and values.

I have no intentions to quit following the Lord. I believe His Word is true. I believe Jesus came to earth as God’s One and Only Son to become the final sacrifice needed for sin. I believe that I have direct access to Creator God through His Son Jesus. I have made a vow to follow Him all the days of my life and I fully intend to keep that vow.

Pressing On!

Dwayne